Apparatus for treating the flesh side of skins



Feb. 10, 1942. M s, NEWMAN 2,272,348

APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE FLESH SIDE OF SKINS Filed April 10, 1941 Morris AS-N$WW Patented Feb. 10, 1942 APPARATUS FOR TREATING THE FLESH SIDE OF SKINS Morris S. Newman, Middletown, N. Y.

Application April 10, 1941, Serial No. 367,967

2 Claims.

My invention relates to apparatus for treating the flesh side of skins.

As is well known, there are certain raw or untamed skins, which become very brittle due to faulty handling. This condition is remedied by soaking or moistening the skin with water. It has been found that these skins are frequently coated with oil, to such an extent that they are impervious to water. My device will act upon the flesh side of such a skin and remove the dry oil coating, without injury to the skin so that it may be moist or soaked with water or other softening liquids. It is also well known that hides prior to or after tanning are subjected to the action of a fieshing machine to remove the flesh. However, such tanned hides after such treatment invariably carry upon the flesh side a certain amount of membrane which must be carefully removed before the hides can be fabricated into garments. These tanned hides are flexible and are seldom entirely flat but are generally irregular in contour, having pockets upon the flesh side and also shrunken. My present apparatus will treat the flesh side of these tanned hides and accurately remove the remaining membrane without injury to the hides. Due to the shape or curvature of the operating member all portions of the-face of the flesh side will be properly acted upon. The shrunken hide will be stretched, softened, and restored to its normal fiat condition.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying my invention,

Figure 2 is a side'elevation of the rotary head included in the apparatus,

Figure 3 is :a side elevation of the apparatus,

the rotary head being shown in longitudinal section taken upon the line 3--3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the head, and,

. Figure 6 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form of head.

.In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral Ill designates a table of suitable length and II is a bench arranged at the side or sides of the table. This bench is of the usual construction so that the operator can lay skins upon the bench at its front or rear.

Any suitable number of my skin treating apparatuses 'are to be mounted upon the table In, at one or both sides thereof. One of these apparatuses will be described in detail.

The apparatus comprises a bracket l2 which is rigidly attached to the side of the table, and this bracket carries bearings l3, receiving a vertically inclined rotary shaft 14. This shaft carries a collar l5 rigidly secured thereto to engage above the upper bearing l3 and a collar I6 is rigidly secured thereto to engage beneath the lower hearing. The shaft I4 is thus rotatably supported but cannot move perceptibly longitudinally. At its upper end, the shaft is equipped with a grooved pulley ll, driven by a crossed belt l8, operating through a slot I9 in the table top. The belt 18 engages a grooved pulley 20 beneath the table top which is mounted upon a common power shaft 2| driven by any suitable prime mover. As shown in Figure 1, the shaft I4 is vertically inclined in a vertical plane extending transversely of the table, and the shaft I4 is preferably inclined at substantially 30 from the perpendicular, although this inclination may be varied, if desired. The shaft therefore inclines downwardly toward the operator and away from the table and the lower end of the shaft preferably terminates substantially at the elevation of the lap of the operator.

The shaft is provided in its lower portion with a reduced portion 22, forming a shoulder 23 and the reduced portion 22 is screw-threaded at its lower end, as shown at 24. These threads are preferably left threads to receive a nut 25. The

which are preferably formed or cast of abrasive material, such as carborundum. This provides segments or members 26 having their outer surfaces or peripheries formed of abrasive material. Instead of forming the segments or members 26 of abrasive material a sheetof abrasive material may be cemented or glued to the periphery of each segment or a powdered or finely divided abrasive material may be directly glued or cemented upon such periphery. The segments or members 26 are assembled in an annular group about the reduced portion 22 of the shaft. These segments or members 26 constitute the body portion of the head and when assembled, they taper longitudinally in a downward direction and are also .longitudinally convex. The lower reduced ends of the segments or members 26 have reduced extensions 21, for insertion within the recess 28 of a lock-cap 29, having an opening 30, to receive the reduced portion 22 of the shaft M. The upper ends of 1 the segments or members 26 have reduced extensions 3|, fitting within a lock-cap 32, arranged to engage the shoulder 23. Disposed between the segments or members 26 are radial blades 33, provided at their lower ends with reduced extensions 34 to enter the lock-cap 29 and longitudinally straight and have sharp cutting edges 36. These blades are longitudinally tapered downwardly and their cutting edges converge downwardly and are longitudinally convex, corresponding to the convex curvature of the 'seg ments or members 26. The blades 33 extend longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the shaft 44 and parallel therewith.

In Figure 6, I have shown blades 31, corresponding to the blades 33. The blades 31 are longitudinally straight but are inclined longitudinally of the axis of rotation of the shaft 14. These blades incline in a trailing direction from their upper ends. Satisfactory results are obtained by having the blades extend parallel with the longitudinal axis of the shaft [4 or incline longitudinally with respect to the same. All other parts of the apparatus remain identical with that shown and described in connection with the first form of the invention.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The operator sits upon the bench II in front of th apparatus as indicated in Figure 1, and holds the skin in his hands. He brings the skin into engagement with that side of the head remote from the operator and holds the skin in proper frictional contact with the head, which is rotating clockwise as viewed from the position of the operator. The lower end of the shaft I4 is free, and this permits of the skin being readily passed about the rotary head while the skin is held in both hands of the operator. The inclination of the shaft l i promotes the convenience of the operator, while sitting in front of the machine. The segments 25 having the abrasive surfaces extend circumferentially throughout the entire spaces between the blades, and provide relatively large rubbing surfaces, to contact with the skin when it is stretched over the blades. The blades not only tend to remove the surplus membrane but also, in connection with the manipulation of the skin, serve to stretch and shape the skin, while the rubbing action of the segments with the abrasive faces removes the remainder of the membrane and serves to finish the skin. The lower tapered end of the head is employed in treating small parts of the skin such such as heads, paws, and tails. The blades serve to remove the membrane remaining upon the flesh side of the skin while the abrasive segments or members 26 serve to smooth and finish the same. The presence of both the blades and the abrasive segments or members is highly desirabl to produce the desired results. If th flesh side of the tanned skin is treated by a rotary head having its surface of abrasive material without the knives, it will be found that it is necessary to plac too much pressure upon the skin thereby developing excessive heat which would prohibit the proper treatment of the skin. If the rotary head is equipped with the blades without the abrasive segments or members it will be found that the blades while removing the membrane will not produce a proper smooth surface. By combining the blades and the abrasive memhers, I have found that the fiesh side of. the tanned skins may be treated to remove all of the membrane, and properly smoothed, at one operation, without producing undue heating. This reduces the time necessary for the complete operation to the minimum. The device renders the work of the operator easier, more convenient, and his output is greatly increased. The head is preferably longitudinally convex, as stated, and

this is beneficial in treating the skin with pockets or bulges, for stretching them and restoring them to the normal flat condition. Further, if the skin being treated is fiat and is free from these pockets or bulges the shape of the head will prevent the formation of pockets or bulges and creases in the skin. The head preferably tapers downwardly and is preferably longitudinally convex, as stated, and this brings the reduced end of the head next to the lap of the operator and this renders it convenient for the operator to treat the small portions of the skin, such as legs, neck, tails, etc., and also renders it convenient for him to treat small skins.

My apparatus is adapted for treating the flesh side of skins with or without fur or hair.

It is to be understood that the forms of my invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may b resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A machine for treating the flesh side of skins for stretching and rubbing the surface thereof to remove surplus membrane, comprising a support, a vertically inclined rotary shaft mounted upon the support and having its lower end free, a head mounted upon the shaft, said head including rigid parts, said head tapering downwardly, blades mounted upon the head and extending longitudinally of the same, said blades having outer cutting edges which converge downwardly, the blades being circumferentially spaced and extending radially beyond the parts of the head, said rigid parts having convex surfaces of abrasive material substantially completely filling the circumferential spaces between the blades to provide relatively large rubbing surfaces, the arrangement being such that the skin stretched over the blades will contact with the abrasive surface between the blades.

2. A machine for treating the flesh side of skins for stretching and rubbing the surface thereof to remove surplus membrane, comprising a support, an upstanding rotary shaft mounted upon th support and having its lower end free, a head mounted upon the shaft, said head having a length considerably greaterthan its diameter, said head having rigid parts, said head tapering downwardly, blades mounted upon the head and extending longitudinally of the same, said blades having outer cutting edges which converge downwardly, the blades being circumferentially spaced and extending radially beyond said parts of the head, said rigid parts having convex surfaces of abrasive material substantially completely filling the circumferential spaces between the lades to provide relatively large rubbing surfaces, the arrangement being such that the skin stretched over the blades will contact with the abrasive surface between the blades.

MORRIS S. NEWMAN. 

